


you kiss me (and suddenly I don’t care anymore)

by NoBloodNoCookie



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: And thats enough, F/F, They're just so in love, but they know they belong together, it doesn't make sense to everyone else, nothing but fluff here laid ease
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-08 05:18:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18887941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoBloodNoCookie/pseuds/NoBloodNoCookie
Summary: Salvatore Boarding School is shook that Penelope and Josie are together. Thankfully, they don't care about what everyone else thinks.





	you kiss me (and suddenly I don’t care anymore)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gabycristiner](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gabycristiner/gifts).



> To one of my closest friends, Gabs for putting up with my dumb thoughts and constant Posie breakdowns. Love you! 
> 
> (Inspired by the song the kiss by karmina.)

This was undoubtedly the happiest Josie Saltzman’s ever been in her young life.

This meaning now.

Now, here in the far, poorly lit corners of the Salvatore School’s library. Pressed up against a bookshelf with Penelope Park’s magical lips on her neck, her perfect fingers in Josie’s hair and _God,_ was that one of Josie’s legs wrapped around Penelope’s waist? It was making her lose all forms of coherency and common sense. It didn’t really matter where they were. It didn’t really matter that she couldn’t afford to be caught like this, what with her headmaster’s innocent, perfect daughter facade. It didn’t really matter that she hadn’t told Lizzie about this yet.

Josie’s entire universe was just her and Penelope in this stuffy, chilly, weird smelling corner and that was more than enough, it was perfection.

It was _everything_.

Penelope pulls back a fraction and Josie already hates the space between them.

“Hey,” Penelope says breathlessly, her grin borderline intoxicated.

Josie thinks she’s never seen prettier eyes or a more stunning smile in her life.

“Hello.”

“Did I ever tell you that you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met?” Her nose scrunches adorably and she ducks her head almost bashfully and fuck if Josie wasn’t willing to risk it all for this stupidly gorgeous girl and the downright terrifying hold she had on her heart.

“You don’t have to sweet talk me into making out with you, you know? In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a willing participant.”

“‘Willing,’” Penelope scoffs, rolling her eyes cutely. “Odd way to say ridiculously enthusiastic, no?”

“Right,” Josie concedes the point with a lingering kiss to the corner of Penelope’s mouth. “I totally meant ridiculously enthusiastic participant.”

“Accept the compliment, Jojo,” Penelope whispers, gently cupping the side of Josie’s face. “You really are the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met.”

She’s looking at Josie with so much adoration in those brilliantly intense green eyes that Josie can’t help but believe her like she’s never believed anybody before.

“Okay,” she says lamely. “Thank you?”

Penelope laughs that laugh that always makes Josie’s heart skip a beat, before shaking her head at Josie’s denseness in fond exasperation. “So many girls in the world and I pick the one who can’t take a compliment to be madly obsessed with.”

She punctuates that statement with a quick kiss to Josie’s jaw and Josie feels like heart might give in and actually burst out of her chest with the crazy amount of _feelings_ she has for Penelope Park.

“I’m madly obsessed with you too.”

Penelope’s smile could probably light up the entire eastern seaboard now. “I know. I mean you don’t skip Defensive Magical Theory to make out with just anybody, what with your perfect attendance record and all.”

“Shut up.”

“Make me.”

And well, how can Josie not?

 

\--

 

Of course Josie’s tidal wave of happiness comes crashing down some thirty minutes later when a pair of vampires, who clearly had the same idea as Josie and Penelope, stumble blindly into their row. Their position leaves no room for doubt about what they were getting up to.

“Well,” Josie begins, oddly calm about the whole thing, as they walk out of the library hand in hand, ignoring all the prying eyes that were already all on them and would now follow them for the next month at the very least. “We don’t have to worry about telling people anymore. Now the entire school will know in the next hour. Stupid vampires, such gossipy bitches.”

“Are you okay with that? With everyone knowing that you are with _me_?” Penelope asks, voice faint and eyes not meeting Josie’s.

Josie has to hug her after that uncharacteristic display of vulnerability, she just has to. Even if it’s in the middle of a crowded corridor. So she pulls her aside and does just that, ignoring the stares from people that weren’t even trying to be subtle anymore.

“Of course I am,” she reassures Penelope, nuzzling her nose into her very nice smelling hair. “I am so proud of the fact that we’re together. It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I mean, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Penelope’s silent for a second and Josie takes the moment to panic. Naturally. She pulls away from Penelope a little but can’t bring herself to untangle their hands. _Hands that perfectly fit together._ Wow, she really needed to pull herself together.

“That was too much, too soon right? Did I scare you? Okay, you know what? Forget I ever said that. Maybe that should have been like a six month anniversary declaration. Not that I assume we’d be together that long - even though I think we definitely should be. Why wouldn’t we be? We’re, like, perfect together.” Fuck, why had she begun speaking again? What was the reason? “Oh boy, I’m just… gonna go now.”

She turns, fully committed to getting the hell out of there and drowning herself in the pool or something fun like that, but forgets about her hand that was still tangled with Penelope’s. Of course her smooth as fuck girlfriend takes the opportunity to spin her back around and kiss her like they were in the climax of a teen romcom or something.

Only better, because Penelope Park is infinitely more dreamy than any fictional male romantic lead could hope to be.

“I agree,” Penelope says, sounding slightly breathless, resting her forehead against Josie’s.

“Huh?”

Forgive Josie for not keeping up with the conversation. Who would? Especially after being kissed like _that_.

Penelope laughs softly. “I agree with what you’re saying. Why wouldn’t we be together four months from now?” She quirks a cute eyebrow as she quotes Josie’s exact words and how was one person this stunning? She was going to be the death, absolute death, of Josie, not that she was complaining. “We’re, like, perfect together.”

Okay, scratch that, _this_ is the happiest Josie’s ever been.

“I’m glad you think so.”

“How could I not?”

“You should know.. That kiss was some Peter Kavinsky level shit.”

Penelope scowls playfully. “He looks like a thumb, Jojo. Let it go already.”

Josie laughs, wrapping her arms around Penelope’s neck, pulling her close close close. “But babe,” she murmurs, leaning down to kiss her. “You know I think you’re so much hotter.”

“You better,” Penelope says, smiling against Josie’s lips.

“Alright, break it up Park!” Mr Williams’ voice breaks through the haze that came over them any time they were together. “Detention after school on Friday, for making the rest of us witness that disgusting display of affection. Bring Saltzman with you.” His voice takes on a slightly surprised note as he says her name, as if he was just realizing it was _Josie_ making out with Penelope Park.

“Yes sir,” Penelope groans.

“Looking forward to seeing you in detention for the first time, Josie. I’m sure your father will be thrilled to hear about this,” Dorian says reproachfully before shooting her one last disappointed glance and walking away.

“Fantastic,” Penelope mutters bitterly. “The first time your father hears about us, it’ll be because I got you in detention. What a great first impression I’m making with my girlfriend’s dad.” She then burrows her face in Josie’s shoulder in search of comfort. At least she tries to, it takes her two attempts because she can’t reach her shoulder without standing on her tippy toes and it makes Josie smile in spite of this new problem as she wraps her arms around her girlfriend.

“Penelope huh, Josie? Good for you!” MG calls out happily, giving her a double thumbs up, as he walks past them with Hope by his side.

“Doesn’t mean we have to see them maul each other in public, but okay,” Hope mumbles.

“Screw you, Mikaelson,” Penelope says weakly, not having the energy to pick a fight with Hope, clearly devastated at the idea of ruining her chances with Josie’s parents.

“Josie wouldn’t like that too much, Park!”

“Leave my girlfriend alone, Hope,” Josie says, tracing light circles on Penelope’s back in an effort to comfort her.

“I’m sorry, your what now?”

Josie recognizes the anger in that all too familiar voice, the hair on the back of her neck standing up immediately and Penelope stiffens in her arms. 

Fuck.

Lizzie.

 

\--

 

“So let me get this right-” Lizzie begins, for the twentieth time in that last hour and Josie loses any semblance of patience and flops back on her bed. “You’re telling me that you, while completely sober, want to date Penelope Park?”

“We have been dating for two months already but yes, just like I’ve been saying the last nineteen times you’ve asked me.”

“I know you’ve said that, but Penelope Park? Really?” Lizzie doesn’t even try to not sound disgusted. “Like easiest-way-to-get-a-rash Penelope?”

Josie can’t hold back the groan this time as she buries her head in a pillow.

Huh.

Maybe it should be Lizzie’s head she should smother with a pillow instead.

“Why would you keep this from me? We tell each other everything, don’t we?”

( _Not everything,_ Josie thinks, as she has flashes of a room going up in flames. But that was a confession for another time. Maybe even never. Definitely never.)

And there it was. She hears the heartbreak in her sister’s voice and knows that this is what Lizzie would struggle with the most - the fact she kept a secret. The longer Penelope and her dated, Josie knew the madder Lizzie would be, but how could she tell her sister the truth? How could she tell her that she was fucking terrified that if Lizzie knew, she would try to take away the one purest, truest thing she had in her life? The one thing that was completely hers for the first time ever?

She sits up and takes a moment to unscramble her thoughts. Should she tell Lizzie how she really feels? She glances at her sister’s face, the openly vulnerable eyes and insecurities clearly on display and the guilt - the fucking guilt of being responsible for some, if not most, of those insecurities - comes rushing back.

So instead she does what she always does, she crawls into bed with her sister and tells Lizzie what she wants to hear instead of what Josie wants to say. Places the blame on external factors, instead of getting to the root of their problems.

“Lizzie, I’m really sorry, okay? It’s just - It’s _Penelope Park_. I didn’t know if it would be something serious. I wasn’t sure if she was serious.” A lie, of course. Penelope’s never, ever done anything to make Josie think she wasn’t absolutely invested in their relationship. Right from the start.

“And I didn’t want people to know yet. I wasn’t prepared to deal with the attention. Especially considering the number of people that throw themselves at her on the regular.” Half truth, maybe? She definitely wanted people to know she was the only person Penelope wanted to be with, but what if everyone knew and Penelope decided she wasn’t? That would be bad. It would be the worst thing that ever happened to her and Josie’s heart certainly wasn’t equipped to deal with that.

“It’s my first serious relationship. It’s both of ours actually and it was just easier to be scared together by ourselves without adding the rest of the madness that goes on in this place to it. I’ve never felt like this about anyone and I wasn’t ready to let the world find out. I’m really sorry, I know I hurt you but I didn’t keep it from you because I wanted to hurt you. That’s the last thing I ever want to do. Can you please forgive me for not telling you?” Finally a truth and Josie’s chest loosens at the way Lizzie softens as she runs her hands through Josie’s hair.

“I hate that you have valid reasons. Plus, she makes you really happy, so I can’t even hate on her like originally planned.”

Josie laughs. “So much hate, put a little love in your heart maybe?”

Lizzie rolls her eyes and lightly shoves at Josie’s shoulder. Josie pretends to fall off the bed. Lizzie ignores her. “Tell me everything about you two. From the beginning, don’t leave out any details!”

“I had noticed, you know?” Lizzie says, after Josie’s done telling her every single detail, or at least all the ones that Lizzie could stomach, about her relationship with Penelope. “I didn’t know what it was but these past couple of months, you just seemed,” she pauses for a moment, searching for the right word. “Lighter, I think? I just assumed it was because mom was back but this makes sense too.”

Josie can’t help the smile that overtakes her face, before quoting Lizzie’s earlier thoughts back to her. “Even if me dating her ‘is as absurd as you waking up and deciding to be best friends with Dana?’”

“Because it is! It’s just it’s you and it's _her._  It doesn’t make sense to me. It’s going to take a while for me to wrap my head around it.”

Josie scowls. This is exactly what she expected people to say when they found out, but just because she knew what was coming doesn’t mean it hurt any less.

Lizzie must misunderstand the look on her face because she rushes to defend herself. “Not that you aren’t anything less than a catch! You’re like the most perfect person I know-” Lizzie ignores the scoff Josie lets out at that. “- and she’s the farthest thing from that! I mean look at you,” she gestures to their uniform Josie’s still in. “I have never even seen you with even your collar button undone and then Penelope - she’s never followed the dress code a single day in her life. And that's just the start of how mismatched you seem to me.”

“I know. I appreciate that about her very much though,” Josie grins deviously, understanding just how to torture Lizzie. “I mean, how hot is she in those badly buttoned up shirts? She wore this loose tie today that was so sexy I _had_ to skip Defensive Magical Theory to make out with her in the library.”  

Lizzie gags and grabs the nearest pillow and assaults a cackling Josie with it. “I have to go bleach my brain and burn down the library now, thanks a lot for that completely disgusting mental image!

“But I’m serious though, Jo,” Lizzie begins after they’ve both calmed down and caught their breath from the pillow fight. “I’ve seen her with so many people that I’ve honestly lost count. And never more than once. Are sure you want to trust her with your heart?”

Josie suppresses the irritation she feels at Lizzie for mentioning Penelope’s rather... extensive roster of past hookups. She knows her sister is just looking out for her so she takes a deep breath to center herself before reciting the same things she’s told herself too many times in the beginning of her relationship with Penelope. “She’s never dated any of them though, Lizzie. And she’s actually told me all about the people she’s… been with before me.”

“No! Really?”

“Ugh, yes,” Josie buries her face in her hands in frustration. “It was super awkward because it wasn’t a short list either but none of it meant anything to her. She’s been so honest with me and she’s done so much for me to be comfortable that I trust her completely, okay? I don’t even get jealous anymore when I see someone flirt with her because I know the way she feels about me. If you saw how she looks at me, you wouldn’t question it either. And if you still can’t trust her, please trust me? Trust that I know I’m really safe with her?”

Lizzie nods reluctantly - but to her credit, much less unwillingly than before. “So it’s serious serious. Which means yay, I’m going to see a lot more of Penelope Park -”

“Why are you complaining about seeing that perfect face more? Everyone deserves to have such amazing luck.”

Lizzie rolls her eyes. “See, that kind of grossness is not what we’re gonna do, but if you say this is what you want-”

“More than anything.”

“Then I support you because you being happy is all that matters to me. And this,” she pointedly looks at Josie’s smile, Lizzie’s own lips twitching upwards at the dopey look on Josie’s face no doubt, “is the happiest I’ve ever seen you.”

“How much did it kill you to admit that?”

“Oh, it’s definitely up there with the time I tried to be nice to Hope.”

 

—

Josie looks up from her textbook at the sound of a knock on her door. Lizzie had gone off to hang out with Pedro after their emotionally exhausting conversation and she finally has her room to herself.

She remembers that Penelope has an uncanny knack for seeking Josie out whenever she was alone, not that she was complaining. The thought alone has her racing to pull the door open.

Only it’s not Penelope.

It’s Hope.

The acute disappointment she feels in her chest surprises her so much that she completely misses whatever Hope says to her.

Since when has she ever been disappointed to see _Hope Mikaelson_ and her stunning face?

“I’m sorry, what was that?”

“I asked if you have a minute to talk?”

“Sure.” Josie ushers Hope in, not bothering to shut her door again, knowing that Hope’s quest to avoid all emotions would mean the girl wouldn’t stay for longer than five minutes anyway.

“So you’re dating Penelope Park now?” Hope doesn’t bother with small talk.

“Yeah, I am.” Josie can’t help beaming even through the confusion of why Hope, of all people, would care about her relationship status.

“That doesn’t sound like a the smartest idea now, does it?” The smile drops off of Josie’s face so fast that Hope takes a gentler approach this time. “I just mean, that you’re you and she’s kind of a...”

Okay, so fuck gentle approaches and Josie’s feelings, I guess.

The frustration from earlier rises up again. ‘You’re you and she’s her’ she remembers Lizzie saying. What does that even mean? Why was it so hard for everyone to believe that her and Penelope could be together? Very happily together, that too.

Josie gets off her bed to look Hope in the eye and maybe she likes the way she towers over her as she says the next sentence. (Even if Hope can kick her ass with one hand tied behind her back.) “I’m begging to you to not finish that sentence. You can get the hell out if you’re just here to insult things you don’t understand.”

Josie begins to walk to the door, intent on kicking Hope out when she lightly circles Josie’s wrist with her fingers to stop her, face apologetic. “I’m sorry, that didn’t come out the way I wanted. I just don’t want to see you hurt, that’s all.”

She glances down at Hope’s skin on hers, thinks of a younger Josie who would pass out at the idea of Hope holding her hand. Thinks of the all those years where even a smile from her would have her weak in the knees. Thinks of how dizzy being in touching distance from Hope would make her. Thinks of that one sleepless night all because Hope hugged he

But now, with Hope’s hand on hers, Josie feels… nothing?

Absolutely nothing.

Hope ( _Hope Mikaelson!)_ was touching her and she had zero feelings about this.

She thinks back to two minutes ago, reexamining the disappointment in her chest at the sight of Hope. The disappointment she felt because she wanted to see Penelope’s face on the other side of the door, not Hope’s.

Not Hope.

Penelope.

Preferably, always Penelope.

She had done the impossible.

Something she thought she’d never be able to do.

She had gotten over Hope Mikaelson.

She hadn’t even noticed that she’s gotten over Hope Mikaelson.

She hadn’t even cared to think about getting over Hope Mikaelson. Not since the moment Penelope had waltzed into her life with those stupid pick up lines that were told for the sole purpose of making Josie laugh.

Josie laughs loudly in relief and it’s odd enough considering the situation that Hope lets go of her hand, looking slightly alarmed. But her mood’s been lifted significantly enough to humor whatever Hope wanted to say to her.

After all, Hope was trying to look out for her, just as Lizzie had earlier.

“Uh, you okay? What just happened?”

Josie can’t stop smiling now. “Nothing happened, Hope. _Nothing_ happened.” And that was the best part.

“...Right. I’m going to go now?”

“No, wait! I’m sorry that I snapped at you like that.”

“I deserved that,” Hope says with a wry smile. “I wasn’t expecting you to go all Lizzie on me like that. But I wasn’t going to say the nicest things about Penelope, so it's a good thing you stopped me.”

“Look,” Josie begins, gesturing for Hope to take a seat next to her. “Thank you for caring enough to come down here to talk to me.”

“You know I care about you,” Hope defends weakly, but when Josie raises an eyebrow as if to say ‘ _do I_?’ she falters and waves a hand for Josie to continue.

“But you don’t have to worry about me, Hope. I’m not some dumb girl getting swept up in the first person that shows me attention, I know what I’m doing. I trust Penelope. You don’t know her like I do and you know nothing about our relationship."

"But-"

"I understand where you’re coming from, but it's not your place to tell me what to do. Will you please respect my judgment?”

“You’re right and I do trust your judgement, Josie. I was a little surprised by this entire thing, that’s all. It came out of nowhere and nobody knew anything, not even MG. And you know, it’s _Penelope_ ,” Hope says her name like it was excuse enough for her actions and Josie hates that understands what Hope means. “So please excuse me for behaving so badly. I’m sorry.”

Hope looks so chastised that Josie immediately feels guilty. (Why is she always so guilty? Why couldn’t she be one of those people without a conscience?) After all, if she hadn’t messed things up with Hope and Lizzie so bad, maybe she would be sitting around with both of them right now, dissecting every aspect of her relationship with Penelope like normal girls their age do.

So instead she decides to lighten the mood. “Ahh, so what I got from that is you’re here to find out the deets about my new relationship? Who knew Hope Mikaelson was such a gossip?”

It works. Hope rewards her with a rare laugh and Josie feels a sense of accomplishment but her heart doesn’t go crazy at the sound of it, like before. “Okay, let’s not get carried away here.”

“Admit it.”

“No.”

“Hope, do you want to know all the hot gos on Salvatore Boarding School’s new power couple?”

“Nobody calls you that.”

Josie stays silent, staring at Hope expectantly.

“Okay fine,” Hope murmurs reluctantly.

“Okay fine what?” Somehow she’s figured out a way to get under both Hope and Lizzie’s skins today and God, it was so much fun.

Hope smacks her with a pillow - second time that happened to her today, but honestly she’s too happy to care. “Please Josie, will you tell me all the ‘hot gos’ -” Hope’s mouth twists into a grimace as she says those words and Josie has to laugh. “- about you and Penelope?”

“Why, thank you for asking, Hope. It would be my pleasure to do so.”

Hope rolls her eyes but shifts forward, clearly interested in what she has to say and Josie mentally fist pumps because she’s won both conversations with two people who are as stubborn as brick walls today.

Penelope was going to be so proud of her.

**Author's Note:**

> So, let me know your thoughts - did you hate it, did you love it? Is there anything you'd like to see or you know, you can always just scream at me on twitter at @dammnvers!


End file.
